Garden Furniture Cleaner

Garden furniture cleaners help to maintain the appearance and condition of garden furniture by removing day-to-day dirt, grime, stains and grease. They are also essential for the long term maintenance for oiled garden furniture and often used as a pre-treatment prior to applying a fresh coat of garden furniture oil.

A common issue with oiled garden furniture is that the maintenance of the oiled finish is forgotten or neglected. In the short term, this can result in the finish loosing some of its colour, luster and weather protecting properties. In the long term, the wood can turn grey or silver and succumb to mould, algae and mildew.

Can oiled garden furniture be cleaned and restored?

The good news is that in most cases, even if garden furniture has been neglected for a number of years, it can still be cleaned and restored back to its former glory. The type of garden furniture cleaner depends on how badly the furniture has been affected.

Recommended garden furniture cleaners

For day to day cleaning, there are a range of trigger spray cleaners that help to breakdown and remove surface dirt and grime whilst nourishing and maintaining oiled finishes.

Mold and mildew cleaners for garden furniture

The onset of mould, algae and mildew is a common issue with wooden garden furniture that hasn’t been maintained. These mould and mildew cleaners will effectively remove and kill the mould spores in the timber leaving furniture clean and ready for re-oiling.

Barrettine Mould and Mildew Spray: An effective mould remover spray for the control of mould spores, algae and fungi. Ideal for cleaning garden furniture affected by mould and other biological growth

Osmo Gard Clean: A highly effective cleaning and disinfecting concentrate
Ideal for the removal of green growth on garden furniture, cladding and more

Recommended wood revivers & restorers for garden furniture

When garden furniture has turned grey or silver as a result of UV and water damage, a wood restorer or reviver will help to restore the natural colour of the timber prior to refinishing with a garden furniture oil or stain.

Why household detergent and cleaner shouldn’t be used on garden furniture

Household detergents, cleaners and washing-up liquids are often made with chemicals which are designed to break down and remove grease, oil and other contaminants from plastic, metal, porcelain, melamine and other hard wearing surfaces. The fact that they break down oils, grease and other substances makes them less than ideal for cleaning most types of wooden furniture and especially oiled garden furniture.

Using harsh household detergents and cleaners will likely degrade and strip garden furniture finishes over time leaving the timber exposed to the elements and unable to repel moisture and rain. It’s for this reason that we recommend the use of a dedicated garden furniture cleaner that is formulated to clean the wood whilst preserving or maintaining the existing wood finish.

Old garden furniture – What do do once cleaned

Once garden furniture has been cleaned of mould, algae or other biological growth it is recommended that the wood is then treated with a wood preserver to help prevent future growth. Ones treated with a wood preservative and allowed to fully dry, it is recommended that outdoor furniture is then treated and sealed with a garden furniture oil or garden furniture stain. An alternative to garden furniture stains and oils are garden furniture paints. Garden wood paints are available in a wide range of colours and shades, from subtle pastel tones through to bright vibrant colours, so transforming old washed out garden furniture into something eye catching and interesting is just as easy.

Ongoing garden furniture maintenance

Once cleaned and restored, keeping garden furniture well maintained is simply down to re-applying a fresh coat of oil or stain once or twice a year depending on weather conditions and usage. This will keep the wood weatherproof and looking good year after year.